"I can't find my backpack!! And where are my shoes!!"
I jumped onto one foot as I slipped on my socks clumsily. "I can't believe I'm running late. Urgh!" Once my socks were on my feet properly, I slipped into the hallway and readjusted my school uniform in the mirror.
"I just can't seem to wear the uniform without looking sloppy." I grumbled loudly. Just then, Mom was walking down the stairs, along with Hideki.
Mom was wearing a bathrobe as she yawned slightly while coming down. Hideki just rubbed his eyes from the lack of sleep. Etoile, (Star) the family's pet dog, which is a Dalmatian,trailed behind Hideki.
"What's the matter mon petite abeille." (My little honeybee) Mom hugged me tightly as she yawned again. "Is it really necessary to yell that loudly in the morning?" She said as she smiled at me.
"I can't seem to find m-" I began to say, but I got interrupted by Mom.
"Your shoes are behind the couch. And your backpack is under your pile of clothes, which I asked you to clean up yesterday." She spoke up as she placed her finger onto my nose briefly.
"S-sorry Mom... I'll do it when I get home from school." I promised her.
"She won't do it Mom. She's too lazy to clean up her own mess." Hideki retorted as he walked into the kitchen with another yawn. "You’re the one to talk!" I piped up as I stuck out my tongue at him.
Etoile seemed to bark loudly, as if she was warning me not to be so mean. I patted her on the head softly, showing her that I understood what she meant.
"Now now. Pay no mind to him. Just hurry up and get yourself ready for school." Mom piped up with another bright smile. I nodded and went to get my stuff. Once I was fully dressed and ready to go, I ran up to the front door.
"Take your bicycle! Your Father fixed it yesterday!" Mom yelled out to me. I nodded happily and bid her farewell. I got on my grey bike and got on my way to school. "I just hope I'm not going to be too late." I mumbled out.
After a few minutes of getting my bicycle out of the garage, I was officially on my way to school. The wind was soaring past me as my skirt was fluttering wildly. "Looks like I'll be okay." I spoke up as I glanced over at my watch.
Just when I said that, my bike made a funny noise, making me look down at the chain. I didn't look out and happened to collide into a nearby fence.
"Oww!! Just my luck." I muttered out as I lied there underneath my bicycle. I crawled out of my position and took a close look at the chain.
"It fell off... Just great. I don't know how to fix it!" I grumbled out as I pulled on my pigtails in frustration. I calmed down and looked around for some help. Just then, I spotted someone familiar arriving on the scene.
"Hatsuharu!"
Hatsuharu's POV:
I was on my way to school, feeling a little out of place at the moment. Momiji happened to go to school early, seeing that I'm late. I never even wanted to go to school in the first place.
"Hatsuharu! It really is you!" I heard a voice speak up to me.
I glanced up to Haruhi, who seemed to run up to me, all out of breath. "Thank goodness your here! You can fix bicycles, right?" She asked me with her hands clasped together.
What are the odds of running into her... And just when I planned on ignoring her. I sighed deeply and didn't say anything.
"Come on! You need to take a look at my bike." Haruhi took a hold of my hand and dragged me to her bike. I still didn't say anything. "You see? It needs to be fixed. Once you do so, I can give you a ride to school." She smiled brightly, making my stomach turn. She's hard to ignore.
"Hatsuharu? Is there something wrong?" She asked me. I just stood there in silence. Haruhi frowned deeply as she noticed my behavior. I stared down at her knee to see that she was hurt. It wasn't a severe injury. But it could get infected.
"Blood.."
Was all I said at the moment as Haruhi looked down at her knee. "Ah... Your right. I didn't even notice that before." She laughed as she scratched the back of her head. She really is weak.
"Can you please help me out Hatsuharu? I don't know who else to turn to." She pleaded to me.
I took a deep breath and remembered what I said yesterday. She's a weak person. She can't possibly accept us for who we are. She won't accept us. Therefore... She can't get close to us.
"Hatsuharu. Are you sure you're alright? You barely said anything and you keep zoning out on me." Haruhi questioned me. "I'm fine." I muttered out as I was about to walk along the road again. But she held onto my arm, making me look back at her.
"If you’re having a problem, we can talk about it." She said, not even knowing that she was my problem.
"Come on. Let's sit down on the grass and talk about what's bothering you." She suggested with another smile. "I can't..." I whispered out lowly. She seemed a bit taken aback by my answer.
"Of course you can! Were friends, aren't we!" She piped up with a soft nod.
At that moment, I couldn't hold in my emotions and slammed her body against the green fence. She seemed startled at my actions as my nails sunk deeper into her shoulders.
As I looked into her eyes, I could see my own reflection, which didn't suit me at all. But I have to do this. I have to push her away. It's for her own good.
Your POV:
As I stood there, being pressed against the green fence as Hatsuharu's grip on my shoulders tightened even more, I felt a sudden surge of guilt washing over me.
Why on earth would he do this to me? Did I do something wrong? Did I cross the line? I just can't figure it out!
"H-hatsu... Haru? A-are you feeling... Okay?" I stuttered out, hoping for him to let me go. He lowered his head so that I couldn't see his face. "You’re hurting my shoulders." I mumbled out as the pain was getting to me.
Just then, Hatsuharu faced me yet again. He seemed to frown deeply as his breathing got heavier. I laughed softly, thinking about the fact that he had a split personality.
"I see. Did you turn black again? Don't worry. If I can handle my older brother, I can take you on as well." I chuckled out.
But Hatsuharu began to push me even harder as his grip around my shoulders just tightened. At that moment, I realized that he was being serious.
"Listen carefully... What I'm about to say is very important." He began to say as I tried to get out of his grip. "Don't talk to me. Don't get too close to me. Do not get into contact with me in any way." I looked up at him with a frown.
"What the hell are you talking about?! I can't possibly do that." I said as I placed my hands on his arms.
"Just do it!!"
I winched at his answer. "You don't know what I'm capable of doing to you, so you should just stay away." He replied softly as he kept his gaze on me.
He surprised me by placing his forehead on my shoulder. His hands dropped next to his sorrowful form, making me frown in confusion.
"Just do as I say, and you have nothing to worry about." He whispered softly. "Hatsuharu..." I spoke up softly as I bit my lower lip. Why can't I be near him anymore? "If it is about your split personality, I can really handle it. I ca-"
"It's not about that. Your just too weak... This is for the best. Trust me." He interrupted me on the spot. Hatsuharu straightened himself and didn't even look me in the eye as he walked away from me.
I stood there in a daze as his retreating back got smaller and smaller. I frowned deeply as I retreated back to my broken bicycle.
"I'm not weak!!"
I kicked my bike harshly, resulting for me to cry out in pain. "Merde!! Il vraiment maux! Morceau stupide d'ordure..." (Shit! It really hurts! Stupid piece of junk...) I sobbed a little as I held onto my foot. I just sat there for a few minutes, not finding the energy to get up any time soon.
Just then, I heard the sound of footsteps closing in on me. I sneezed softly from the cold. It stopped next to me, but I didn't pay any close attention to whoever it was.
"You shouldn’t sit on the pavement like that. You'll get a cold." I heard a deep voice speak up to me.
I looked up and saw a man who looked about 27 years old. His left eye seemed to be covered up by his bangs, which is a shame, seeing that he has stunning eyes.
He wore a suit, making me wonder what a guy like him was doing out here when he clearly needed to go to work.
I got up on my feet and winched in pain. The man held onto me, which didn't seem to suit my taste, so I pushed him away. "I can take care of myself." I snapped lowly. He didn't seem to be affected by my comment and got down on his knee.
"Take off your shoe." He commanded. "I will do no such thing. I don't even know you!" I began to say. "Just take it off. I'm a doctor." I was doubting about that. Any stranger could say that and end up kidnapping me for money.
I got kidnapped a few times when I was a kid, and I ran away from home because I felt useless. But I won't let that happen again! I used to be weak. But not anymore!
"No thanks. I'm fine. I have to go to school." I told him as I walked over to my bike painfully. I straightened it and walked off as I held onto the steering wheel. After a while of walking with my bike next to me, I glanced behind me to see that the man was gone.
"I didn't mean to be so impolite, but I don't trust people I just met. I hardly know the guy's name."
"In that case, I will introduce myself." I heard a voice speak up to me from the road. I turned around and faced whoever it was, only to jump up in shock. There was the young man from before. Only... He was in his car with the window rolled down.
"Hatori Sohma. I'm not a threat to you. Just let me examine your foot and I'll be going my own way." He spoke up sternly. Well... My foot does hurt a lot. And my bike is busted anyway. What do I have to lose. Other than my life, that is.
"Alright. I give you my permission. But no dirty tricks! I don't want to end up on a milk carton!" I demanded. The guy just raised an eyebrow at my statement, but paid no mind to it.
After a good minute or so, he parked his car and told me to sit down on the front seat. I did as I was told and took off my shoe and sock, only to see that my ankle was swollen slightly.
The guy walked over to me after he rummaged through his trunk. He began to examine my foot and jerked it in a painful direction. I winced, but tried to keep it in.
"It looks like you strained your ankle." He said in a mere whisper. He already began to apply some kind of ointment on my ankle. "What's that for?" I asked him.
"To keep your ankle from swelling up even more." He replied blankly. He finished it off by wrapping my foot up nicely. He also fixed up my knee with a band-aide.
"You should be okay now. As long as you don't put any pressure on it."
"T-thanks. I don't have any money on me." I replied as I carefully pulled on my shoe. "Money isn't an issue. Just take proper care of yourself." I got up on my feet and nodded in response. The guy walked over to my bike and placed the chain back on its rightful spot.
"Thank you!" I exclaimed happily after seeing that it was really fixed. He just wiped off all the oil on his hands with a tissue.
"Don't mention it." Was his answer as he got back in his car and closed the door.
I held onto the steering wheel of my bicycle tightly as my bangs covered up my eyes. He looked up at me and sighed deeply. "Hey.." I looked up again and tried to smile, but it came out all wrong.
"The boy has a lot on his mind. He usually doesn't mean what he says. Don't take it to heart."
I frowned at him in curiosity. Is he talking about Hatsuharu? "Thanks. I think." I piped up with a faint smile. He nodded at me as he turned on the engine and was on his way.
"That was kinda weird. Hatori Sohma." I muttered to myself as I got back on my bike. "Wait a minute." My eyes widened in shock.
"He's a Sohma!"
Tohru's POV:
Class was just over, and it was time for lunch. Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun tagged along behind me. Uo-chan and Hana-chan were walking right next to me. "I'm glad it's time to eat. Another minute in that class and I was going to explode." Uo-chan replied as she brushed her hair from her eyes.
"Really? It was very soothing to me." Hana-chan replied with that soft voice of hers. "How can a debate be soothing?" Kyo whispered softly, making me laugh slightly. Just then, I heard a familiar voice yelling out to us.
"Tohru!! Tohru!!" Momiji-san ran up to us with a lollypop in his mouth. He seemed ever so cheerful. "It's good to see you Momiji-san." I replied happily.
"Where's the other guy?" Uo-chan pointed out. "Now that you mention it. Hatsuharu-san's not here. Could he be sick?" I spoke up.
"He's not sick. I saw him this morning." Kyo-kun piped up with his hands in his pockets. "Kyo was worried, so he paid Haru a little visit. Didn't you Kyo?!" Momiji-san retorted. Kyo-kun smacked poor Momiji-san on the head in which he cried his eyes out.
"I was not worried! Why would I be worried?!" Kyo-kun spat out, feeling a little embarrassed himself. "Why shouldn't you be worried? He is a part of your family. You should worry more." Hana-chan replied to Kyo-kun as her electric waves kicked in. He just backed off, finding her a little creepy at the moment.
"Tohru!! Kyo hit me!! He hit me!!" Momiji-san complained. I patted him on the head, in which he stopped crying altogether. Yuki-kun went over to the window as he spotted something.
"What's Haru doing down there?" He muttered out. We all went over to the windows and saw Hatsuharu-san on the playground. He was leaning against one of the trees.
"Momiji... Do you know anything about this?" Yuki-kun asked the boy. "Not really. He just seemed a little depressed today. So I didn't bother him all that much." "His electric waves... They seem to be out of order. It used to be peaceful." Hana-chan informed us, making me worry even more.
Kyo-kun opened the windows and looked down at Hatsuharu-san's form. He was about to shout something out, but decided not to as he saw another person approaching.
"Hey... Isn't that the half-breed?" He spoke up in wonder. "It sure looks like Tanaka-san." Yuki-kun mumbled out.
Hana-chan looked up at me with a confused expression. "Ah... That's right. You weren't here yesterday, so you didn't meet her yet." I replied with a smile.
"That's Tanaka Haruhi. She's new here. Haru-chan’s a classmate of Momiji-san and Hatsuharu-san. We get along pretty well." I finished off.
"I see."
We got back at staring outside the window, just to see Haru-chan walking by with her bicycle at hand. Her uniform was a little dirty, and her steps seem to be uneven.
"It's only her second day here, and she's already this late. What was she thinking." Kyo-kun retorted as he kept his gaze on her.
"That's what I'd like to know." Uo-chan replied. Haruhi kept on walking ahead of her, until she suddenly saw Hatsuharu-san standing near the tree. She seemed to smile brightly at him, but Hatsuharu-san turned his back on her and walked off without saying a single word.
"What the hell? What's going on here?" Kyo-kun spoke up in confusion. "He didn't even help her." "B-but why? Did she do something wrong?" I stuttered out. Just then, Haru-chan looked up at us.
"O-ohaiyo Haru-chan!" I yelled at her. She smiled at me, although it seemed to be a forced one.
"Ohaiyo Tohru! I'll be there in a minute! Wait up for me, okay!" She responded as she walked into the school building. "She seems rather happy. Even though she's being treated badly by that kid." Uo-chan said.
"That's just because Tanaka-san expected for this to happen." Yuki-kun sighed.
"That moron. What the hell is up with that kid!" Kyo-kun hissed out as he clenched his teeth. He stormed off in a rage, not waiting for the others to follow him.
"A-ah! Kyo-kun! Where are you going?!" I yelled out after him. He turned his head a little, still with that pissed off look on his face.
"What do you think?! I'm going to pound some common sense into Haru!" He replied after turning the corner. "It seems... That things are going to worsen even more."
